Alleged N2bn loan scam: Court restrains Umahi, panel from probing former SSG

- The ploy to bring the former SSG to Ebonyi state government to book has been hit by a setback

- A Federal High Court on Friday stopped Governor David Umahi and a panel constituted to probe the ex-SGG Bernard Udoh

- Governor Umahi and Udoh have been at loggerhead over alleged misappropriation of N2bn agric loan

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Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state has been stopped from probing Prof Bernard Odoh, former secretary to the state government, over alleged N2 billion agric loan scam.

Ebonyi state government had constituted a panel to investigate the former SSG, but in a verdict on Friday, June 5, a Federal High Court in the state restrained the governor and the committee.

This followed an ex-parte motion Odoh filed against the governor and the panel, The Nation reports.

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Legit.ng gathers that Odoh was the SSG to Governor Umahi in his first term but the two have been at loggerhead recently, with the former petitioning the anti-graft agency to probe the governor over the 2016 agric loan borrowed from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The battle between Udoh and his immediate boss worsened when he wrote to the governor criticising him and some of the policies of his administration.

The feud was aggravated when Governor Umahi, during a state-wide address, publicly fired back at his former SSG and accused him of misappropriating N2 billion agric loan the state government borrowed in 2016.

Udoh has since responded, saying he never coordinated the aspect of loan disbursement.

More attempts to bring the former SSG to question proved abortive as he refused to grant the invite of the panel set up to probe him.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that following the finding that some executive council members of Ebonyi have contracted coronavirus, Governor Umahi has ordered the closure of all government offices with effect from Thursday, June 4.

Governor Umahi gave this directive through Orji Uchenna Orji, the commissioner for information and state orientation.

The governor is understandably worried over the rising number of cases of the deadly pandemic in the state which at the moment has risen to 75.

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Source: Legit.ng